Officials say Billy Duane Johnson was being attacked when he fatally shot William Newton Scott at the Creekside Trailer Court in May.

Author:
KTVB , KTVB

Published:
7:13 PM MDT August 4, 2017

TWIN FALLS - Twin Falls police and the Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney's Office have concluded that a man acted in self-defense when he fatally shot another man at the Creekside Trailer Court in May.

Police were dispatched to Creekside, located at 146 Addison Ave. West, the evening of May 26 to a report of a man who had been shot.

An investigation found that Billy Duane Johnson, 45, of Twin Falls fatally shot William Newton Scott, 38, also of Twin Falls, during an altercation outside Johnson’s home and business.

After an extensive review of the evidence, police and prosecutors concluded that Johnson acted in self-defense under Idao law.

“A person has the right to use deadly force when he reasonably believes it is necessary to defend himself, his family or other persons, or his home from attack,” said Grant Loebs, Twin Falls County prosecuting attorney, in a news release issued Friday. "We concluded after looking at all the evidence that this was what happened in this case.”

Police said they found that Scott went to the Addison Avenue West address with another man and a teenage male to confront Johnson. They said that during the confrontation Scott attacked Johnson. During a short struggle, Johnson fatally shot Scott.

“This event is an example of several poor decisions leading to tragedy.," Twin Falls Police Chief Craig Kingsbury said in Friday's news release. "Our agency investigated this event thoroughly and the evidence supports that Mr. Johnson acted in self-defense when he shot Mr. Scott. The Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney was consulted every step of the way during this investigation."

Johnson has been charged with felon in possession of a firearm., and a jury trial has been scheduled for later this year.